The Appaloosa has to be the most versatile breed around today.  They can turn their hoof to any discipline, and they do it fast, as these guys aren´t just agile with the correct conformation for speed, resistance and to dance, they are very smart too!

You can read all about the history of this breed HERE and when you have fallen in love with the legend you can then purchase yourself the real thing from THIS PAGE 

There are only 1,015 registered as foundation Appaloosa´s in the whole world.  You wont just be helping to save this breed, you will be enjoying one of the most intelligent and fun horses that exist - oh, and maybe with a bit of colour!

I must first make clear I am not a saddle expert, but I am asked about saddle preference a lot.  Treeless saddles seem to be an especially hot topic amongst trekkers and, just yesterday, again I was asked my thoughts on these saddles.

Many people don´t get on with a treeless saddle, first and foremost because they don´t purchase the correct pad to go with it.  Secondly, and sadly still all to common, because they don´t have a balanced seat and find they either tip forward or backward in a treeless down to their own error, or feel "unsafe".  None of these problems being the fault of a treeless saddle.  I have friends who jump in treeless saddles, and do so very successfully, as well as plenty who use them for trail riding and some who use them in dressage.

I personally have tried three different brands of treeless.  My main discovery is, if you buy a cheap one, well, you get what you pay for.  But that is pretty much true of any saddle.  When properly placed, with the correct pad, they are great for trekking.  Personally I would not use them for great distances and speeds.  Remember, this is just my opinion, but I think the spine needs some relief if you are constantly polling along at 25 to 30 kph.  They work great on most horses, most horses being triangular in shape.  But on rectangular horses I found myself either on the neck or on the haunches at every decline or incline.  Though rectangular horses are few and far between I seem to have 2 out of my herd total of 14!

Like bitless bridles, there are now many different treeless saddles to choose from, so if at first one doesn´t seem suited to your horse, go and try another.  Also, like bitless bridles, not all are good.  Buying cheap as far as a saddle is concerned is a false economy.  The money saved will be spent on a chiro, osteo or massage therapist for your horse.  Nearly all my saddles have cost more than the horse, even second hand ones - and there is nothing wrong with a well cared for second hand saddle.  If it´s leather it will save you a lot of elbow grease getting it supple.  Someone else will have done the work for you ;)

Whoaaaaaa! 
Don´t feed your horse ´meals´. 
If you want a truly healthy horse you will leave your treasured steed with forage available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A horse is designed to eat 16/18 hours a day. Unlike humans, they are producing acids and enzymes to digest food constantly, therefore, when they spend more than 4 hours without food passing through their intestines, those acids can begin to form ulcers. In the wild a horse spends approximately 75% of it´s time eating, whilst in captivity only 20%. So what does it do the rest of the time? Well, often it develops vices, out of shear boredom. That is just a couple of the reasons why, here, at Espíritu del Viento the horses have ad-lib hay. That is, hay available 24/7 in slow-feeders. Your horse can enjoy this level of livery and therefore this level of health at our yard. We can´t provide year-round grazing here in southern Spain, but this is the next best thing.

If you´d like to learn more about equine nutrition the Whole Horse Protocol courses teach you so much more.

Forage is the staple of a horses diet.  A minimum of 1.5% up to 2.5% of his body weight being his daily requirement.  This is where he gets his energy, fiber, protein, vitamins and minerals.  You can learn all about the best forage for your horse, exactly when the fiber content is highest (which builds muscle), which produces the best proteins (to provide energy) and when sugar content is at it´s lowest (a product not readily digested by horses) on the Whole Horse Protocol courses.  The best forage for your horse doesn´t appear in this photo.  Oh, and alfalfa: that´s a legume, not a grain.  Comes from the same family as peas!

"...should not be the desired end goal of ethical horse training. A horse zombie is one who only moves, responds, or reacts to the outside world when directed by the human. Absence of behavior is not a sign of a well trained horse, or a sign of great leadership, or a sign of a fantastic relationship between horses and human. It can be the sign of a horse who has been taught, usually through punitive, domineering methods, to simply do nothing until told otherwise - in short, be a zombie.

Many training methods unknowingly teach horse owners to suppress any and all unasked for behavior, resulting in horses that appear to be exceptionally well-trained...zombies. But the sad reality is what we are seeing are horses who are behaviorally suppressed. They have been taught that doing anything other than 'not doing' is the only right answer.

The well-trained horse should perform safely as requested AND still show signs of life and free will. Contrary to what some people might think, such training doesn't result in horses that just 'do their own thing', and are a danger to those around them. It results in horses who are both safe to handle, and are free to express how they feel, and show what they may be thinking about.

Next time you watch a horse training video, be on the lookout for Horse Zombies and think about how they may have got there. I've seen trainers who don't even allow horses to look around the arena when they are sitting on them, chatting to students. Is that the sign of a healthy relationship?"  Author "Good Horsemanship".

When you bring your horse to us for training, be prepared!  You, the owner or rider, will be the one receiving the first lessons.  We do not believe in training the horse so much as training the handler.  A horse knows how to do everything, from birth.  It is just a matter of him doing those things when you want, not when he chooses.  That is what we ask from the horse and in order to ask, you need to know how to pose the request. 

On a daily basis I receive emails, private messages on Facebook and public messages that people tag me in to.  People asking for my advise, ideas or help.  I fully appreciate that their particular problem or situation, in this moment, is the most important thing to them.  So inevitably I “drop everything” to respond immediately, if not sooner.  If I don´t have a solution, I let them know straight away, and when I can, point them in the direction of someone who does.  I sometimes spend hours, and I mean long hours, responding to mails, and I do this with no financial gain, just with the hope that I can help a horse, or provide relief to a worried owner.  What each of these individuals does not realise is, they are not alone.  They are one of many people who contact me every day.  Yet I never leave them hanging, and give each one my undivided attention to the best of my ability.  

Therefore, when I contact a business, that has laid claim to some of my money in exchange for goods I have not received, and they take a couple of days to respond to my mail asking for their whereabouts, if not longer, I am completely blown away by their lackadaisical manner.  How come people give them money, they provide a shoddy service, yet stay in business?  Yet I, who gain nothing from my hours of work, sometimes without even get a thank you from some people, try to be as on the ball as possible!  There are many who are extremely grateful - but grateful doesn´t pay the bills.  

But wait, I can´t end this gripe just there.  There is one thing even worse, one thing that is far more abusive of my time.  The people who ask me questions and take no notice of the answers - answers that would improve their horses health/situation/mannerisms, what ever.  That is the Askholes. Now they really take the biscuit!